Bawnboy Workhouse

Bawnboy was one of the second wave of Poor Law Unions created in Ireland between 1848 and 1850, and was the only such addition in Ulster. The Union was formally declared on 26th April 1850. Bawnboy was formed from the western part of the Cavan Poor Law Union and occupied an area of 163 square miles. In 1905,

This fine cut-stone group of buildings served the poor of the parishes of Templeport, Corlough, Kildallan, the two Drumreillys, Newtowngore, Ballinamore, Swanlinbar and part of Glangevlin.

A Board of Guardians governed each union. Some nominated by the Grand Jury and the others by the voters of the ratepayers. The Guardians levied a rate on the union and used the proceeds to support the workhouse. Discipline was strict in the workhouse and the diet was limited. Men were segregated from their wives and children segregated from their parents.

In the front row of of the buidling was a female probation ward, a girls school, waiting room, boardroom, masters’ rooms, surgery store, boys’ school and male probationary ward.

In the central portion of the building  was the dairy with a window where food was passed into the kitchen.

The kitchen had two boilers and a fireplace with a door to the dining room. The dining room and chapel were one big room since 1954. In the back there were two doors, where the in mates entered for Sunday mass. The men entered through the right door and the women through the left door.

A vocational school was opened in 1933 where a Miss Daisy O’Conner took charge of a domestic economy class, with woodwork and general subjects added in 1934.

The boys schoolroom became a dance hall in the 1920’s and was used for meetings, concerts and Irish dancing classes. When dance halls became more modern the hall was used for sport like football and hurling training.

Michael Bannon, clerk of the union, lived in the rooms to the left of the entrance gates. Hugh Maguire, caretaker, lived to the right of the entrance gates. Nurse Byrnes lived in the middle of the last row of buildings. Francie and Katie Gallagher lived in the North-east of the building. Garda Doyle lived in the left section of the middle row of buildings.

Source Bawnboy Workshous